1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a suds removal method of a washing machine, and, more particularly, to a washing machine and a suds removal method thereof which can effectively remove suds by adjusting an activity of the suds upon generation thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a conventional drum-type washing machine, washes laundry by raising and dropping the laundry contained in a cylindrical rotating drum through rotation of the drum. The drum-type washing machine reduces cloth damage and water consumption as compared to a conventional pulsator-type washing machine, although it has a long wash time. Thus, the demand for drum-type washing machines is increasing.
In the conventional washing machine, if excess detergent is used or a detergent, which tends to generate large quantities of suds, is used, excess suds are generated due to residual detergent component inside a water tub or laundry during a spin-drying cycle after drainage of water. The generated suds leak from a front side of the washing machine, for example, via a detergent input opening. Moreover, an excess of suds acts as a load which deteriorates a drive of a motor of the washing machine, thereby making it impossible to achieve normal revolutions per minute for a spin-drying cycle.
To solve this problem, Korean Registered Patent Publication 10-282343 discloses a method of sensing a generation of suds to thereby remove the suds.
In operation of a conventional washing machine disclosed in the above Patent Publication, an increase of a load applied to a motor is sensed to determine whether suds are generated. When the suds are generated, a predetermined suds removal cycle, which is a repetition of water supply, washing, water drainage, and spin-drying operations in this sequence, is performed to thereby remove the suds.
However, the suds removal cycle of the conventional washing machine as stated above, does not take into account the amount of suds corresponding to the amount of a detergent, and simply repeatedly performs a rinsing operation, including water supply, washing, water drainage, and spin-drying operations, for a predetermined time to rapidly remove suds. Therefore, when excess detergent is used, part of the detergent may remain depending on the amount of water supplied to remove suds. This results in a failure to completely remove the suds even after completion of the suds removal cycle. Also, when only a small amount of detergent is used to thereby generate a small quantity of suds, the suds removal cycle must be continued for a predetermined time even after the small quantity of suds is completely removed, resulting in unnecessary consumption of time and water.
In addition, when excess detergent is used, a large amount of water is required to remove suds, exerting a negative influence on rinsing and spin-drying performances.